Week 98

Monday, September 10, 2018

Hey Mom, 

This past week was pretty good. We got a lot of stuff organized and I am pumped to see what the Lord has in store for us this week. 

Answers: Nobody came to church yesterday:( But that´s ok, they will come. Church was really good. I had a good experience there as I partook of the sacrament and it was powerful. They have baratas, aranhas, e moscas( stupid, dirty, nasty moscas haha). But where I live, none of them attack us, menos moscas(flies) they attack everybody. And Mom, this place is so amazing that for me to exclude one thing that I love is very difficult. There is a huge dock in Mindelo, better than Praias. As for stuff to do, there's not a lot. There is a mini sucipira to visit, a lot of praças, like parks, and just some shops. But for me, there would be people haha. There is no grass here, it is in Praia, where I started my mission so it is very dry. I am a taxi drive away from the mission house and office. 

This past week was a lot of work. We had some good days and some other good days. Osmar e Denise haven´t been at home but we will keep trying. Osmar has 3 jobs and is busy, but com fé na Deus, tudo é possível. We are starting our ward missionary program right now and I am excited as ever!!!! This area is legit and with the help of the members, God and some good kuskus, things will go right. We will be getting  a lot of references from members this week because of this program called Árvore da Vida, it is a inspired program that will help with working with the members together. 

My thought come from Alma 26:35. Ammon is talking about the strength that God has and how it is incomprehensible for us. Truly with God, everything is possible. I love Him. I know Him (somewhat) and will serve Him for my life and eternity. Let us remember Him and His ultimate gift to us, who is His chosen son,  Jesus Christ, as we go about our daily lives. 

Love you Mom. I will send another email that you can print for Grandpa. Thanks for the love and support you have given me. Time is flying. Have a good week.

 

Love Elder Nelson 

email for Grandpa Nelson's 90th birthday

Hey Grandpa, 

Happy Birthday!!! It´s not a hand written letter like yours is, but it is an email. I am glad that you are my grandpa and I have you as an example in my life. I remember before leaving  my mission, I was working over in your garden and it was an awesome opportunity to do that. Thanks for being my GPA and for raising my Dad.  You are a healthy man and remind me of some Cape Verdeans out here. Keep up the good work. See you in a bit!

Love Elder Nelson

Week 97

Monday, September 3, 2018

Hey Mom, 

This past week was very packed and it is over already. It is incredible how fast time flies here on the mission. I was transfered to Lem Cachorro, perto de Fazenda em Praia. Have fun looking it up haha. I am a DL, not a ZL this time, and it is wonderful. I have more time to relax and study. It feels great. 

Our investigators here are very few. However, we do have this one casal who are pretty sweet. Their names are Osmar and Denise. We walked in for the first time this past week and we talked to them for like 5 minutes and then we started with a prayer. I prayed and asked for the Spirit to testify of the pathway that they should take. Right after the prayer, Denise straight up said that she knows what pathway to choose. She said she wanted to go to church. So she started asking all these questions about church and it was cool. Then, we invited her to be baptized and she accepted and asked more questions(good questions) about baptism. It was legit. Osmar was super chill about all of it to. They didn´t come to church this past week but they will this next week. IT was a cool experience. 

This week was also a week of cleaning. When I came to this apartment, it was not very clean. But after a weeks work, it is way better now. Me and my comp are the cleaning masters. And speaking of my comp, this is what  he had to say about himself haha.

 "I am from Bountiful Utah, like kicking Satans butt, a military geek and am very weird"-Elder Vance. I love this guy. He is a hard worker and is a chill guy, something that I need before I go home haha. We also have a visa waiter serving with us as well. I knew him from last year and this year, because of Fogo. His name is Zenito Rodrigues. Very cool dude. Humble missionary and very calm as well. I am pumped for this transfer and the changes that will happen because of it. 

My thought comes from Alma 36:3-4. Alma is talking to his son about trusting in God and he who trusts in God will be lifted up at the last day. This is a good scripture. But then there is the other part. We need to do our part so that God can trust us. We can say e trust God, but unless He trusts us, then we aren't truly trusting Him, because those who trust in Him will keep all of His commandments. It was just something that I've learned this past week a bit more fully. Love you all, Hope you have a good week. 

Love Elder Nelson

Week 96

Monday, August 27, 2018

Hey Mom, 

This past week was another loaded one. This was my last week in Fogo, as I was told, but it was a blat none the less. There were a few divisions to do, people to see and teach and then lives to change. I love being a missionary. 

My investigators are doing good. Lonilde got back from YSA today and I will pay her a visit before I go tomorrow to Praia. She invited everybody to her baptism this Saturday. Well everybody that would be able to attend. She is progressing really well. She is an elect of the Lord. Our other investigator, Akhyles, also is doing good. He came to church yesterday and has a strong testimony already of the Book of Mormon. He is very cool. Has a lot of potential to grow. 

Other investigators we have are doing well. We have a few more people being prepared for baptism, but now it is time for a new are with a new comp and new investigators and members. I am headed to Praia and staying there in an area called Lem Cachorro. I will be serving with Elder Vance. He was in my zone for two transfers in Fogo. He is a cool Elder. 

However, the hardest part of today is saying goodbye to everybody. All the members I´ve become close friends with, investigators and missionaries. There are a few people here in this area that I will really miss, but I am grateful for Facebook to be able to keep in contact with them after the mission. This past week, there was a cool experience I had. There was a member that was struggling with some personal problems, coming back to activity. And he was doubting whether we should continue passing or not. But, we talked and he is better now, but for a moment while me and my comp were talking to him, I saw him as the Savior saw him, with the potential to become like our Father in Heaven. IT was a cool moment. 

Never forget who you are. You always told me that, but now it hits. If we remember who we are, we know that the world can´t offer true and everlasting internal peace. Only Gods plan and commandments. I am so grateful for this Gospel and for the eternal progress I have. These last 12 weeks are going to fly. I am ready to give everything I have, even more then I have before. Love you Mom. Have a good week. 

Love Elder Nelson.

And yes I got my package. I will pick it up tomorrow when I get to Praia.

Week 95

Monday, August 20, 2018

Hey Mom, 

This past week was pretty fun. A lot of stuff happened. We had Brava elders over for zone conference and then the aps came and so our house was as packed as ever. But it was fun. We had a lot of good food and it was a good conference. 

In the conference we talked about how to work more with members and also how to make our planning better. It was a good training. There were some things that I could improve upon and so it was good to hear. The food was also super good. We had Chickened Cordon Bleu. It was soooo good. There was also rice and mashed potatoes. The potatoes weren't super good, but it was good enough. Then for desert we had some good'ol home made cake. It was delicious. The top was like this sweet sauce that just melted in your mouth. Some of the best cake I´ve ever had. 

That was conference. The Brava elders are doing good as well. Being a week with them was kinda exhausting because our area only is capable for 1 dupla, and so when we had 2 it was kinda tiring to think of people to pass every hour, but it all worked out. Transfers are next week, so next P-Day I will know where I am going and who I am going with. We shall see. I think I am leaving. Which is sad, because these people are super cool.

Lionilde, our baptism to be, is headed to Brava for YSA activity. Then we have 2 more men, Wilson and Akhyles, that are progressing really well. Both came to church yesterday, and Lionilde, and had a talk with the bishop. Akhyles said that it was a very positive conversation with him. So that was good. Then we had one more person, Tania come to church as well. She is a girlfriend of a less active that also came, Taylor. I am super pumped for these people. We should be getting some rescues this week and then in the coming weeks, some baptisms. Other than that, the work is still the same. 

My thought comes from an experience I had this past week as I read my patriarchal blessing and setting apart blessing. I was reading them to see if I was doing all that I could do to fulfill the promises and blessings in them. And it was after my interview that I read them. And as I read over those pages, my heart filled with peace and I was able to let go of all the times that I failed and didn´t do my hardest, and I knew in that moment that the Lord made up for my mistakes. Then this past week, I have hit a hard spot. I am just not very happy for some reason. And so I remembered the way I felt the Tuesday, and how I was happy to work and give my all. And Honestly that is what it comes down too. IF we are happy and willing to work and give of ourselves to the Lord. It says that we must be cheerful givers. So that is a goal that I have this week. To be more cheerful and joyful and happy. And then to help the zone do the same thing. I am far from perfect and I fail all day every day. But I know that the Lord is there to make up for our failures, if we trust in Him. So that was my week. Hope that everything's going well back home. Love you Mom

Love, Elder Nelson

P.S. I will go to a Cardinals game on my way back from Cape Verde next year. I miss baseball.

This is our district in district meeting, a cool view of Brava, and then a awesome family night a few weeks ago.